District 47 State Rep. Jan Jones, R-Milton, told North Fulton residents last week that though she does not believe now is the right time for the re-establishment of Milton County, she will continue bringing related legislation to the table.

Jones, the Speaker Pro Tem of the Georgia House of Representatives and a Milton resident, spoke at a community meeting hosted by the volunteer organization Better Together.

She said she has introduced a bill for the reformation of Milton County for the last eight years to no success.

“It takes a two-third majority in the House, a two-third majority in the Senate and you have to put it on a statewide ballot,” she said.

“I don’t think the time is right now because I don’t have the votes.”

However, Jones said she believes it makes sense for the city of Atlanta to support the northern portion of Fulton County becoming its own county.

She said she thinks the time will come when Atlanta will support the creation of Milton County and that will make it easier for the rest of the state to vote in approval.

Two issues Jones said she will be working on in the next legislative session are to reconfigure the library board and to give greater support to children in foster care.

Jones would like the county library board reduced from nine members to seven and to drop Atlanta from its name.

“Atlanta does not contribute other than a small amount for the little bit of Atlanta that’s in DeKalb [County] but they get to share the name,” she said.

Foster care issues are something Jones said she has wanted to tackle for years.

She said she believes the clothing allowance for foster children should be raised and that the state should cover the cost for them to take the GED.

“There are about 8,500 children in Georgia in foster care and the majority of them will age out,” she said.

Education has been an area of concern for Jones over the years.

Last week, she told Milton residents they can look forward to a new branch of Gwinnett Technical College at Old Milton Parkway and Ga. 400 opening in about a year.

“It’s the largest branch the technical college system has ever built,” she said.

“It will be good for our high school students because I’m hoping that they can take classes there … [and also] folks who are 50 and need a new path.”

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